Evans men who ran a cockfighting ring sentenced to two years probation

Two men who helped run a cockfighting ring in Evans in 2017 will spend the next two years on probation after their sentencing Wednesday.

Luis Mosqueda-Razo, 31, and Gabino Villegas-Delgado, 52, pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals — a class 6 felony — in March. As a result of that, prosecutors dismissed the animal fighting charges the two men also faced initially.

The charges stem from a November incident in which police arrested the men in the 3700 block of Burlington Avenue in Evans. The officers were in the area for another reason, but they discovered what appeared to be an illegal animal-fighting setup in a home, as well as 28 roosters. With the help of veterinarians, police removed the roosters from the home.

A warrant is still out for the arrest of a third man, Pablo Cortez-Diaz, 21, who is wanted in connection with the incident, according to court documents.

Cockfighting is illegal in Colorado and in every other state in the nation. The final state to criminalize the activity was Louisiana, which did so in 2007.